Iowa Mine

The Iowa Mine is a silver and gold mine located in Rio Grande county, Colorado at an elevation of 11,873 feet.

About the MRDS Data:

All mine locations were obtained from the USGS Mineral Resources Data System. The locations and other information in this database have not been verified for accuracy. It should be assumed that all mines are on private property.

Mine Info

Satelite View

MRDS mine locations are often very general, and in some cases are incorrect. Some mine remains have been covered or removed by modern industrial activity or by development of things like housing. The satellite view offers a quick glimpse as to whether the MRDS location corresponds to visible mine remains.

Site Name

Primary: Iowa Mine
Secondary: Patented Claim: Iowa
Secondary: Ms 895

Commodity

Primary: Silver
Primary: Gold
Secondary: Copper

Location

State: Colorado
County: Rio Grande
District: Summit (Summitville) District

Land Status

Land ownership: Private
Note: the land ownership field only identifies whether the area the mine is in is generally on public lands like Forest Service or BLM land, or if it is in an area that is generally private property. It does not definitively identify property status, nor does it indicate claim status or whether an area is open to prospecting. Always respect private property.

Holdings

Not available

Workings

Type: Surface/Underground

Ownership

Not available

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Operation Type: Unknown
Year First Production: 1882
Discovery Year: 1882
Discovery Method: Ore-Mineral In Place
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Deposit Size: S

Physiography

General Physiographic Area: Rocky Mountain System
Physiographic Province: Southern Rocky Mountains

Mineral Deposit Model

Not available

Orebody

Not available

Structure

Type: R
Description: San Juan Volcanic Field

Type: L
Description: Platoro Caldera, Summitville Caldera, Summitville Fault, South Mountain Dome

Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Quartz-Alunite Solfataric Alteration

Rocks

Name: Quartz Latite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Miocene

Name: Quartz Latite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Miocene

Analytical Data

Analytical Data: STALAGMITES, 0.35 OZ/TON AU, 2 OZ/TON AG. ASSAYS FROM CARPER (1914): 1.28 OZ/TON AU, 9.7 OZ/TON AG (AT $20.65/OZ AU, $0.60/OZ AG).
Analytical Data: ANALYSES OF AURIFEROUS LIMONITE FROM IOWA TUNNEL AT INTERSECTION WITH BLACK WONDER (OR GOLCONDA) VEIN (PATTON, 1917): STALACTITES, 0.12 OZ/TON AU, 0.5 OZ/TON AG

Materials

Not available

Comments

Comment (Deposit): SOUTH TEWKSBURY VEIN ZONE TRENDS N 30 W, NEARLY VERTICAL, AND CONSISTS OF DISCONTINUOUS HIGHLY SILICIFIED ROCK (VUGGY QUARTZ ROCK OF QUARTZ-ALUNITE ZONE). SOME ARGILLIC/PROPYLITIC ZONE ALTERATION ON SW SIDE OF VEIN. LARGE MASS OF COMPACT QUARTZ ROCK AT NORTH END OF SOUTH ZONE. NORTH TEWKSBURY VEIN ZONE TRENDS N 20 TO 35 W AND APPARENTLY DIPS 75 NE DOWN TO COPPER HILL LEVEL AND 85 NE BETWEEN COPPER HILL AND REYNOLDS LEVELS. SMALL MASS OF VUGGY QUARTZ ROCK AT NORTH END. AZTEC-BLACK WONDER VEIN ZONE TRENDS GENERALLY NORTH TO NW AND CONSISTS OF DISCONTINUOUS INTERSECTING VEINS, PIPES, AND IRREGULAR PODS IN HIGHLY SILICIFIED QUARTZ LATITE SURROUNDED BY SOFT ARGILLIZED ENVELOPE OVER PIPE AT SE END. AZTEC PIPE APPARENTLY LOCALIZED AT INTERSECTION OF FRACTURES. DISCONTINUOUS IRREGULAR BLACK WONDER VEIN VERTICAL DOWN TO IOWA LEVEL WHERE IT MAY JOIN TEWKSBURY VEIN.

Comment (Location): ON ESE SLOPE OF SOUTH MTN. PORTAL ELEV FROM STEVEN AND RATTE (1960, PL. 4). ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :1975

Comment (Workings): IOWA CROSSCUT TUNNEL DRIVEN S 48 W FOR 530 FT TO TEWKSBURY VEIN ZONE, CONTINUING 300 FT AND BRANCHING INTO TWO TUNNELS TO AZTEC VEIN. IOWA LEVEL DRIFTS AND STOPES DEVELOPED ON SOUTH AND NORTH TEWKSBURY VEINS, AZTEC-BLACK WONDER, AND HIDDEN VEINS. TOTAL CROSSCUTS APPROX 1470 FT; DRIFTS APPROX 5400 FT; OPEN CUTS AND GLORY HOLES TO SURFACE (SUCH AS SOUTH TEWKSBURY STOPE) DEVELOPED ABOVE LEVEL.

References

Reference (Deposit): LIPMAN, P.W., 1974, GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE PLATORO CALDERA AREA, SOUTHEASTERN SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS, SOUTHWESTERN COLORADO: USGS MAP I-828.

Reference (Deposit): CARPER, A.F., 1914, GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS OF SOUTH MOUNTAIN, RIO GRANDE COUNTY, COLORADO: COLORADO SCHOOL OF MINES THESIS T-464.

Reference (Deposit): BLM MINERAL SURVEY MS 895

Reference (Deposit): PATTON, H.B., 1917, GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS OF THE PLATORO-SUMMITVILLE MINING DISTRICT, COLORADO: CGS BULL. 13.

Reference (Deposit): STEVEN, T.A., AND RATTE, J.C., 1960, GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS OF THE SUMMITVILLE DISTRICT, SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS, COLORADO: USGS PROF. PAPER 343

Colorado Mining Photos

Check out this collection of Colorado's best historic mining photos: Incredible Photos of Colorado Mining Scenes.